Sunday, September 6, 2015

HANNAH AND THE HIGHLANDER by Sabrina York

First in a brand-new series about
the bold, brawny men of the Scottish Highlands--and the lovely lasses who bring
them to their knees…

Released September 1st

Highlanders are her weakness.

Hannah Dounreay has no time for suitors who only seem interested in her
family's land, which she manages as well as any man. If she marries, she wants
to be loved for the educated, independent woman she is. But when a strong,
silent--and spectacularly handsome--Highlander saves her from a violent attack,
her heart is stirred. Who is this man? And if he asks for Hannah's hand, will
she be able to resist him?
Love is the most powerful weapon of all.
Alexander Lochlannach, Laird of Dunnet, has no time to lose. The Highlands are
in an uproar as clans battle for land--without mercy--and Alexander can't
afford to fall for the wildly attractive, strong-willed Hannah. What's more, he
has a desperate secret, one that could destroy them both. But as their
attraction turns into an all-consuming passion, Alexander has no choice but to
prove to Hannah that he's the only man for her--body and soul…

Read an excerpt:

Egads. She wants to speak with him
before the wedding… The door opened
immediately, as though she’d been standing there waiting. At the sight of her,
his heart stalled and his throat tightened. She had this effect on him each and
every time he saw her. God, she was so beautiful.

Her eyes widened, as
though she was surprised to see him, which befuddled him, because she’d asked
him to come. Then her gaze raked him. He liked to think that look in her eye
was a glimmer of appreciation. “Dunnet,” she said. “You’re . . . dressed.”

Aye. Dressed for a
wedding. He couldn’t help but notice she was not.

“Lady . . . Hannah.” He
bowed. “You wanted to . . . talk?”

She nodded briskly and
opened the door wider, stepping back to allow him to enter. He did so and
closed the door behind him. The click was deafening. It was not lost on him
that he was in her bedchambers. His gaze flicked to the bed. It was slightly
rumpled. That made him feel slightly rumpled as well.

This was not the time for
his passion to rise.

It did.

“Thank you for coming,”
she said, turning away to pace. “I know you are prepared to marry . . .
forthwith.” He had no idea why she emphasized the word as she did. “But before
we exchange our vows, I have some things that I need to say.”

He nodded, even as relief
gushed through him.

She hadn’t changed her
mind.

And if she had things to
say, he should probably stay silent. And listen.

“You and I need to have an
understanding.”

“An . . . understanding?”

“Aye.” His hope was
supplanted by a hint of disappointment when she said in a very businesslike
tone, “We both know this is a marriage of convenience.”

His gaze snapped to her
face. Ernest though her expression was, it lacked the dreamy, romantic tinge a
groom might hope for. In fact, she set her chin and shot him a very unromantic
glance.

A marriage of convenience?
A cold, heartless, distant union? Denial howled. Suddenly, to his surprise, he
found he wanted something very different. He longed to respond, to cry out his
dissent, but his throat locked.

“There is no reason to
pretend this is something other than it is. I agreed to marry you because
Dounreay needs your protection and you agreed to marry me for my lands. We are
marrying for no other reason. Aye. I understand that. We understand that.”

Nae. We understood nothing
of the sort. There was another reason he was determined to marry her, did she
but realize.

He wanted her.

“Regardless, Dunnet, my
wish is for a peaceful union.”

Peaceful. Aye. Peaceful
was good.

“I should like for us to
work together as a team. In partnership.”

Aye. He had a partnership
in mind. . . .

“If I’m going to pledge
myself to a man forever, I need to know that he will respect me. That he will
honor my wishes. I need to know he will take my counsel into account.” She
fixed Alexander with a steady gaze, as though she expected a response. So he nodded.

She was so beautiful, so
earnest. So tantalizing.

He stepped closer, intent
on his target.

Her eyes widened as he
neared. Her hand on his chest stalled his approach and her brow wrinkled. Her
gaze flicked to his mouth and her tongue peeped out, wetting her lips, igniting
a flame in his belly. With great effort, she ripped her gaze away and frowned.
“Do you agree to my terms?” she asked.

He cupped her cheek and
angled her head up. Her breath caught. Her features froze as she realized his
intent. “Aye,” he said. “Aye.” And then he did what he’d been thinking about
for weeks. What he’d been obsessing over all day. He kissed her.

And it was glorious.

A shiver rippled over
Hannah’s skin as Dunnet took her mouth. His taste, his scent, infused her. It
was a light kiss, a testing foray, but it sent an unholy thrill through her and
left her wanting one thing. More.

She had wanted this chance
to speak with him privately, to receive his assurances that their marriage
would be a partnership, to set her mind at rest, and he’d done that. But if she
was being truthful . . . something like this had been on her mind as well,
skulking there behind her noble intentions, a roiling hunger. A curiosity. A
need.

She’d kissed him before
and he had turned away. She desperately needed to know if, in his heart, he had
any passion for her whatsoever.

Even as she attempted to
rein in her disappointment at his withdrawal, his hold on her cheek tightened,
his eyes narrowed, and he issued a noise, something gruff and deep, something
that sent a lick of exhilaration through her.

He yanked her closer. The
feel of his body against hers, rigid and unyielding, made her head spin. His
fingers threaded through her hair and he held her steady as his head descended
again. She sucked in a breath, quivering with anticipation.

And ah. Ah.

This kiss was different.

This wasn’t tentative in
the slightest. It was a taking. A mad, starved consummation of her mouth with
his, a melding of lips and tongue and need.

This was as wild as the
windy squalls off the coast. As tantalizing as the fairy wisps at dusk. As
scorching as the forge where razor-sharp steel was tempered and formed.

And it cut through her
like a screaming wind, an enticing magic, a warm blade.

Scuttles of heat rose in
her womb. Rivulets of excitement danced in her veins. His taste filled her
senses, her mouth, her soul.

When he lifted his head, a
glimmer danced in his eye. It was the look of a conquering hero, a savage
Scotsman, a man whose hunger had been sated but ignited at the same time.

Oh heavens.

Exultation whipped through
her. Her knees were weak and her body melted.

Damn her reservations.

Damn her fears.

Damn her doubts about
whether or not he really wanted her.

She wanted him. And she
would have him.

It was gratifying to see
that he was not unaffected. His breath came heavy and hard and there was a
slight tremble in his voice when he spoke. It was one word and one word only,
forced out and wreathed in a growl, but it was enough.

“Mine.”

WHAT
PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT HANNAH AND THE HIGHLANDER

Bold and steamy—Publisher’s Weekly

5 stars: A stunning tale from
beginning to end—Love, Life and Booklust

Top Pick: Hannah and the Highlander
is a wonderful love story that I can honestly and happily recommend to all—Night Owl Reviews

4 Stars: York turns her talent for
sizzle to men in kilts—and the women who love them—in her newest sexy romp—RT Magazine

Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York, is
the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of hot, humorous stories
for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range
from sweet & sexy to scorching romance.
Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com
to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Get updates and alerts from
Sabrina here: HotSheet Sign Up.